EPA Names Sam Trickett Poker Player of the Year

It's official. Sam Trickett is poker's Player of the Year, at least according to the members of the voting panel at the European Poker Awards (EPA). His win came as a surprise to many. Some are even calling it an upset, as Tricket beat out fellow Brit and Poker Triple Crown winner Jake Cody.

Trickett was crowned 2012 Player of the Year Wednesday night at the EPA awards ceremony in Paris, France. The awards honor the best players in European poker based on their performance over the course of the previous year.

There were six contenders in the Player of the Year category: WSOP champ Pius Heinz, Eugene Katchalov, Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier, Andrey Pateychuk and Cody and Trickett. The latter two were widely considered favorites.

But it was Trickett's 2011 earnings and top finishes in several high profile tournaments that bested Cody's 2011 claim on the Poker Triple Crown after his win at the 2011 World Series of Poker.

Trickett, the leading member of Team Titan Poker, earned more than $4.5 million in 2011. At the 2011 Aussie Millions he won the $100K High Roller event and was runner-up at the $250K Super High Roller event. In November, he won the Partouche Poker Main Event.

Though Grospellier failed to win the Player of the Year award, he didn't go home empty-handed. The popular player took home the Rob Gardner Memorial Poker Personality of the Year award. For his top finish at the WSOP, Heinz was awarded the Best Tournament Performance of 2011 prize. Pateychuk was crowned Rookie of the year. Of the six nominees in the Player of the Year category, only Katchalov and Cody weren't issued awards.

Other winners included:
 

• Natalya Nikitina - Female Player of the Year
• Jesse May - Lifetime Achievement Award
• Ilari Sahamies - Internet Poker Player of the Year
• Warren Lush - Staff Person of the Year *bwin.Party
• WSOP Cannes - European Poker Event of the Year